Contributor: As Moira Rose, Catherine O'Hara taught me to roll with life's plot twists

The memorable musings of Catherine O’Hara’s character, Moira Rose, connected “Schitt’s Creek” were much than amusement for me. Moira was my touchstone arsenic I struggled with the world of an unusually transient life, having lived successful 29 homes by the property of 46.

When I heard that O’Hara had died past week, I nestled nether my favourite sofa broad and deed play connected “Schitt’s Creek.” I’d seen the bid countless times, often quoting the hilarious lines that she delivered with specified singular eccentricity — dripping with sequin-laced cunning.

Like the Rose family, I was forced to move. As a child, caller addresses were presented arsenic advancement — for your dad’s occupation — arsenic my household absorbed an ethos successful the ’80s and ’90s to spell wherever accidental sprouted. For maine that meant 5 schools successful 5 years betwixt the ages of 13 and 18, with lone the committedness that I was becoming an fantabulous justice of quality by being dropped into caller societal milieux implicit and over. As an adult, moving became quieter and much tinged with shame, prompted by divorce, a layoff and rent hikes each fistful of years arsenic I tried to “make it” successful the large city.

I started watching “Schitt’s Creek” successful 2018 arsenic the ink was drying connected my 2nd acceptable of divorcement papers. I was 40 connected a permission of lack from my high-profile enforcement selling job. Most days I wandered done my three-story suburban imagination house, lying connected my stepchildren’s beds and sobbing. Moira’s quips brought maine person to a grin than thing other astatine the clip arsenic she called her TV son, David, a “disgruntled pelican,” and arsenic she famously didn’t cognize however to “fold in” the cheese.

Mine was an affectional ruin, and I related profoundly to the show. The Rose household had fallen from affluence to poverty, uncovering themselves surviving successful a small-town motel. Just arsenic they had a hard clip adjusting to their bankruptcy, I felt a akin symptom of not being wherever I wanted to beryllium successful life. I’d soon erect a for-sale motion connected that lush greenish gait and determination to a condo somewhere, acold from the idyllic cul-de-sac, the animal-shaped cooky cutters and the excessive dishwasher cycles that punctuated my blessed household life. Like Moira, I had nary prime but to judge my gutting circumstances.

Moira survived displacement by turning it into theater. O’Hara managed the character’s outbursts arsenic meaningful, playing each country with lovable eccentricity. How overmuch I related to 1 of her quotes — “This vino is awful. Give maine different glass!” — arsenic I poured inexpensive market store vino for myself, hoping someway a drunken fog would undo the symptom of unpacking stemware successful a caller room that didn’t consciousness similar my own.

Her unabashed quality modeled an energy, if not a humorous script, erstwhile I returned to enactment aft what seemed to immoderate a mysterious six-month absence. In an occurrence successful which the net and her neighbors deliberation she has died, Moira walks into her Jazzagals rehearsal beaming: “Fear not. She hath risen.” I summoned that precise main quality vigor erstwhile I strutted backmost into my bureau — and picked close backmost up connected the firm whirlwind of meetings with needy co-workers who took the cue from maine and acted similar I had ne'er left.

Moira was determination for maine disconnected and connected arsenic I tried to settee into a caller beingness and halt the signifier of moving each mates years. But, successful 2024 my landlord said helium was raising the rent by an exorbitant $400 a month. Interest rates had climbed, and the lodging marketplace was stagnant. There was small inventory disposable to buy, truthful I moved into a plot flat with a month-to-month lease until conditions improved. I wanted to crawl into my closet and fold the doorway closed conscionable arsenic Moira did during her hysterical meltdowns.

Instead, I summoned the icon’s stronger moments. When the Roses mislaid everything, Moira wore wigs to the market store, pronounced “bébé” similar she was inventing a caller language, and, astir critically, ne'er compromised her dignity. Instead of harassing myself implicit my lodging stableness arsenic impervious of a quality flaw, I reframed my moves arsenic a whimsical crippled twist, conscionable arsenic she had.

One much determination yet brought maine to a townhouse I anticipation to telephone location for decades to come. Moira adjacent changed however I moved in. I didn’t fold myself into a smaller mentation to acceptable the space; I alternatively arrived with a hint of defiance and the enduring content that being uprooted doesn’t person to mean being undone.

I erstwhile viewed my 29 moves arsenic 29 failures to prolong stability, and those successful adulthood arsenic failures to physique the beingness I wanted. O’Hara did a batch for me: She played her quality connected a good borderline of faltering poise that showed maine it was acceptable for maine to bash the precise same.

I’m yet settled now, my boxes unpacked successful a abstraction that feels permanent. But if the floorboards ever displacement again, I’ll beryllium navigating it with my proverbial favourite wig ready. Just similar my Moira.

Andrea Javor is simply a Chicago-based freelance writer and selling enforcement moving connected her memoir astir poker and love.